One of China’s most notorious illegal casino operators, a 46-year-old woman who kept a stable of 16 young men as her lovers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison as part of a crackdown on organised crime, the Times reports.
Xie Caiping is the latest to be convicted in a sweep that has exposed the revival of the Triads, the Chinese mafia. The mobsters had bribed government officials to turn a blind eye to their operations, which China claims have been eliminated with the advent of Communist Party rule.
A court in Chongqing ( South-western China) delivered the verdict on Nov 3. Xie Caiping was fheld guilty of running a huge gambling syndicate.
Gambling is a national obsession in China; it was a capital offence during the Song dynasty (960-1279) but by the time Ming dynaty came to power (1368-1644), the punishment was reduced to a hand chop..
The Times report said Xie ran wo gambling dens inthe city hotels, nightclubs, and tea houses.. Her income was estimated to be at least 180,000 pounds.